Field Trip Success!

Hello Yellow Duck Families,

Our field trip to the planetarium went well this past Tuesday. Nobody got lost and everyone was smiling at the end of the day so we consider that a success! Everyone was quiet and respectful during the show and was able to answer some questions at the end. Of course, riding the big bus was an exciting way to get to and from the planetarium and surprisingly, we all fit! Thank you to all of the grownups who came along for the fun. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Last week we observed ladybug larvae crawl all over “Lady Bug Land”. Our larvae came through the mail in a tube that we poured into our plastic enclosure. This week most of them have gone into the chrysalis stage and have attached themselves to the sides of their home. Now we wait…

Wednesday our caterpillars arrived and we have watched them crawl all over their cup. The cup came complete with food on the bottom. Soon, they will head to the top of the lid and get ready to form chrysalises. When that happens, they will literally hang out for 10-15 days and, don’t blink, some winged beauties will emerge in our butterfly tent!

Lady Bug Land and Caterpillar Cup

On Tuesday we worked on a collaborative art piece inspired by glass artist, Dale Chihuly. Everyone painted a plastic bottle with acrylic paint, then let it dry and they were cut into spirals. All were tied together and hung in a cluster below our art light. Chihuly has made many lovely chandeliers and he would be proud of this one hanging in our room!

Our Chihuly masterpiece!

REMINDERS

Please remember that the children are outside for at least 30-40 minutes each day.  When it is hot and sunny, you may want to apply sunscreen in the morning before coming to preschool.

PHOTOS went very well last week. Hopefully you received an email from postmaster@photospecialties.com This email gives you a link and password to view and purchase your photos. If you need help, the phone number for Photo Specialties is 919-967-9576. (Our photographers were Nan and Christina)

Wednesday, May 14th – last Lunch Bunch

Monday, May 19th – pick up at 12:00 pm (no lunch bunch)

Wednesday, May 21st  – pick up at 12:00 pm (no lunch bunch)

Friday, May 23rd – Last Day of School (End of Year Celebration (more information to follow)                                   

We have four weeks left with our flock. Time flies when you’re having fun! It’s pedal to the metal time and we still have so much to complete. Wish us well during this season.

Happy weekend!

Peace,

Ms. Shelly & Ms. Carina

Happy Easter!

Hello Yellow Duck Families,

We are almost done with our Bible and this week we read about the first Easter. We use a children’s bible so it’s a gentle retelling of Christ’s death and resurrection. We also constructed a little garden in which we placed a tomb (small clay pot), plants, crosses and rocks from our science collection (the floor was a little messy after 13 scoops of soil 😉). You could say it’s another story extension that allows hands on learning for those who learn best that way. Although, we’d say everyone had fun putting it together and are happy to help it grow!

Jesus is not here!

We also had fun at the sensory table this week. It was filled with grass, plastic eggs, Easter trinkets, and along with it wind up chicks and bunnies. It took some fine-motor control to open and close those eggs and to wind up those balls of fluff without breaking them.

On Tuesday, Dr. Chris (Charlie’s dad and pediatrician) joined the class and told us what he does when he’s at work. Everyone got to try out some stethoscopes, masks, and gloves. He showed us x-rays of hands, feet, and the chest/abdomen. We learned that because he doctors in a hospital, he sometimes has to work in the middle of the night! Thank you Dr. Chris for sharing about your job. We’ll be wishing you well during those long nights without any sleep ❤️.

27 bones in the hand!

So, have you heard all about our math treats this week? What better way to work on math skills than to include a little treat while doing it? Monday, we started off math treat week with counting to 100 by tens. After we counted we then promptly ate the mini marshmallows we counted with. Tuesday brought another round of tens practice with the numbers placed on a white poster board and Fruit Loops in groups of ten under each one. Again, we ate them.

Wednesday, we worked on counting by fives. That was trickier. We used Skittles for our counting markers and then, ate them. Thursday came and I told them that the treat was baby carrots. Moans and groans filled the circle. When I pulled out the MnM’s everyone cheered and off we went counting by fives. Of course, we ate them 😊. Tally marks were demonstrated on our white board to show another way to keep track of counting by fives. We noticed patterns in each method of counting. Now, forever more, math will equated with fun and yum! Is this bribery? Maybe. Hey, it worked.

Could math be any more fun?

Friday, April 18th & Monday, April 21st:  Good Friday & Easter Monday - preschool closed

FIELD TRIP! The children and chaperones will take the city bus from the Southern Village Park and Ride lot to the Morehead Planetarium at UNC Chapel Hill and return on the bus to the Southern Village Park and Ride.

Destination: Morehead Planetarium at UNC Chapel Hill to see “The Little Star That Could”

Date: Tuesday, April 22nd

Time: 8:30 am - 11:45 am (Arrive early and we will leave CCP promptly at 8:30 am and walk to the bus. In order to catch the bus, we will not be able to wait for any late arrivals.)

Special Instructions:

  • Each student may have one adult chaperone. The children’s safety is our top priority. Therefore, siblings are not permitted on the class trip.

  • Please minimize cell phone usage while on the trip.

  • Stay with your group and set a good example of appropriate behavior.

  • Please pack an easily transportable snack and drink for your child.

Happy Easter!

As always, peace,

Ms. Shelly & Ms. Carina

Yellow Duck Flower Shop

Hello Yellow Duck Families,

The Yellow Duck Flower Shop is open for business! Bouquets have been bought and delivered and everyone loved taking a turn at the cash register. We even added some essential oil to the petals so they smelled divine. Dramatic play opportunities like this one develop communication, “how much are those flowers?”, and social skills that place children in different roles (ie. cashier, flower arranger, or customer). If you need a flower arrangement, these Ducks can deliver!

This week in music and movement with Miss Vicki, everyone did such a great job of following directions. It’s not that they’ve had have a hard time doing so in the past but for whatever reason, this week they did exceptionally well. When it was time to leave, they formed a kindergarten line, thanked Miss Vicki, and marched back to the classroom. It made us so happy to see this but at the same time a little sad because they are needing us less and less (sound familiar?). We know our time is running out with them and soon they will be off to their next adventure. For now, we will cherish each moment we have with them!

We will be working on a new collaborative art piece soon and need clear, plastic water bottles. Don’t worry about caps as we do not need them. Send in any you might have in your recycling bins! Thank you!

MARK YOUR CALENDAR! - Photo Specialties will take our school pictures (individual and class photos) next Wednesday, April 16.

Friday, April 18th & Monday, April 21st:  Good Friday & Easter Monday – preschool closed

FIELD TRIP! The Yellow Ducks and Blue Whales have planned an event for their classes that will require leaving the preschool grounds. The children and chaperones will take the city bus from the Southern Village Park and Ride lot to the Morehead Planetarium at UNC Chapel Hill and return on the bus to the Southern Village Park and Ride. Thank you to all who have sent in their permission slips and entrance fees😄.

FIELD TRIP!

Destination: Morehead Planetarium at UNC Chapel Hill to see “The Little Star That Could”

Date: Tuesday, April 22nd

Time: 8:30 am - 11:45 am (We will leave CCP promptly at 8:30 am and walk to the bus. In order to catch the bus, we will not be able to wait for any late arrivals.

Cost: $15 per student + $17 per adult chaperone. All checks should be made payable to Christ Church Preschool. If you have NOT sent payment/form in yet, Monday is the last day to do so in order to send payment to the planetarium. Thank you.

Special Instructions:

  • Each student may have one adult chaperone. The children’s safety is our top priority. Therefore, siblings are not permitted on the class trip.

  • Please minimize cell phone usage while on the trip.

  • Stay with your group and set a good example of appropriate behavior.

  • Please pack an easily transportable snack and drink for your child.

The weekend is here so jump in and soak it up!

Peace,

Ms. Shelly & Ms. Carina

Egg Drop "Eggsperiment"

Hello Yellow Duck Families,

Our Ducks have been busy this week studying Humpty Dumpty. We’ve read different versions of the story with my favorite being, “After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again)”. It was a lovely story about facing fear and moving forward bravely. I won’t ruin the ending for you but it almost always makes me mist up while reading it. If you’d like to experience it for yourself, here is the link to it online.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUKt1a6I3yw

Thank you for sending in an egg this week for our egg drop. What is an egg drop exactly? It consists of trying to find a way in which to drop an egg from a certain distance without it being broken by the fall. We placed all kinds of materials on our table in which the children could construct a safe ride down for their Humpty Dumpty. Then, each child had the opportunity to test their design. We discussed what materials were used, and made predictions. Most everyone thought their egg would make the trip unscathed. We first dropped them from our short ladder. Several did not break, and those eggs were then dropped over the railing of our loft. And because it’s fun to throw things, we chucked the remaining intact eggs over the railing of the pirate ship on our playground. Of those, I believe five didn’t break and were sent home onto bigger challenges!

Doing this experiment provided not only great fun, but so many other learning experiences. The children learned that certain materials work better than others to protect an egg. They learned to encourage the others whose egg broke. This investigation reinforced self-regulation by taking turns, using their eyes to watch, and their ears to hear if the egg broke. It enforced how to dream big. Most important of all, they learned how to accept failure (and success), and accept it well. Failure is a part of life but an it’s an important one, as it’s usually the way we also learn. We’d still be in the dark if Thomas Edison had given up!

“Every great cause is born from repeated failures and from imperfect achievements.”
— Maria Montessori

We broke out the markers again and let everyone make their own Humpty Dumpty to take home. Don’t worry, they’re not real eggs and yes, we used permanent markers again with four and five year olds. Like Humpty Dumpty, we live dangerously! We then played a game where the children split into teams and raced to balance their eggs while walking across the room. 🥚

Enjoying the “Don’t Drop Humpty Dumpty” game!

POPCORN! - We’ve been exploring this fun treat all week. We’ve studied popcorn popped in the microwave, on the stove top, in an air-popper, and a fan favorite—-Jiffy-pop (in the popcorn aisle at Walmart)! We listened to, watched, and then tasted every method. Ask your duck why a kernel of corn explodes when you heat it up and what those un-popped kernels at the bottom are called. 😉🍿

This week is National Bubble Week! We celebrated in and outside of the classroom. We used bubbles to make beautiful art and work on our breathing skills. We then gave everyone a bubble wand of their own, headed out to the playground, gave some simple instructions and let them go! Quickly, bubbles started to fill the air and those magical moments of childhood were drifting across the playground. Oh, to be able to bottle this and sell it on Amazon. I’d be a millionaire!


Thank you all for coming to our music program on Thursday. Our ducks did an amazing job of singing and cooperating while on stage. Giving them opportunities to speak in front of a group all year has been helpful for moments such as these.

Last but not least, Ms. Carina and I want to say thank you for all the love you’ve shown us this week. The flowers, cards with the sweetest words, lunch, and generous gift cards, all made us feel appreciated and loved! ❤️ You’re truly the BEST!

Monday, March 31st – Friday, April 4th:  Spring Break, Preschool Closed

MARK YOUR CALENDAR! - Photo Specialties will take our school pictures (individual and class photos) on April 16.

Friday, April 18th & Monday, April 21st:  Good Friday & Easter Monday – preschool closed

Tuesday, April 22nd:  Field Trip to Morehead Planetarium.  We will be taking the city bus and each child is allowed one chaperone.  This is such a fun event to extend our learning about space.  More details will follow as we get closer to the date.

May your spring break be a blessed one whether you are traveling or staying!

Peace,

Ms. Shelly & Ms. Carina

Hibernation Celebration!

Hello Yellow Duck Families,

On Thursday, we celebrated the coming of spring and the end of the long sleep of hibernation that kept our animals in their den. Everyone was excited to invite the animals to join us at our feast. Thank you parents, for being so creative when sending in your treats. We enjoyed sticks,(pretzels) gummy worms, carrots, fruits, raisins, fruit, cheese, and goldfish!

This was such a good lesson in being patient. It’s hard to part with a stuffy or favorite toy for a length of time such as this. There were a few children who chose not to have an animal hibernate, but we’re thinking they may be more daring and take a chance the next time something like this comes up. It’s hard to make that leap into the unknown when you’re four and five 😉.

On Thursday the children were invited to make houses like the pigs did in the stories we read recently. They had to figure out ways in which to construct them using tape. Some worked alone and others collaborated. We then tested the strength of the houses to see which was the strongest, with a wolf (hair dryer). Ask your duck what happened. Of course, we also added three little pigs and a wolf so the story could be retold in a fun way! 🐷🐷🐷🐺

Eggs Please! 🥚

We will be studying different versions of “Humpty Dumpty” next week. Please send in an raw egg (you might have to sell your plasma or a kidney to do so 😉) next Monday or Tuesday for our egg drop experiment. Write your child’s name on it, pop it in a sealed baggie and send it in! This is always a fun science experiment where predictions are really tested!

Noticing…

Today right after our story time, I told each child something I noticed about them. Something positive. Each one waited their turn to hear that they were being seen and heard in our classroom. Their faces lit up as they received their truth. I truly pray that they carry this seed with them when they leave our classroom. Sometimes children hear a lot of correction from adults and not enough affirmation. This weekend, try to “notice” something awesome about your kiddo and tell them.

March 25 - CCP Spirit Day- wear your CCP shirt and/or yellow (for Yellow Ducks!) It is also CCP Spirit Night at Al’s Burgers!

March 27 - Casual music programs in the fellowship hall. (This is a new event! ) Shortly after drop-off on this Thursday, your child will sing a few songs with their class & Ms. Vicki for an audience of parents and special loved ones in Ascension Hall. There will be refreshments for adults. Plan on about 20-30 minutes.

Monday, March 31st – Friday, April 4th:  Spring Break, Preschool Closed

MARK YOUR CALENDAR! - Photo Specialties will take our school pictures (individual and class photos) on April 16.

Friday, April 18th & Monday, April 21st:  Good Friday & Easter Monday – preschool closed

Tuesday, April 22nd:  Field Trip to Morehead Planetarium.  We will be taking the city bus and each child is allowed one chaperone.  This is such a fun event to extend our learning about space.  More details will follow as we get closer to the date.

We hope you enjoy the beginning of this season and are able to soak in the new life it brings. Happy Spring!

Peace,

Ms. Shelly & Ms. Carina

I'll Huff and I'll Puff...

Hello Yellow Duck Families,

We have continued on with comparing and contrasting the different versions of the familiar story, The Three Little Pigs. We started with the original version, and then read, “The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf”. We’ve made our way through different endings, characters, and settings. Our ducks have now had excellent experience in how one story can be told in so many different ways. Instead of art appreciation, it is story appreciation. Next week we’ll attempt to build the pigs’ houses and see how they hold up to some huffing and puffing from a “wolf”.😉

““If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.”
”
— Albert Einstein

Thank you all for taking time meet us this week to talk about your duck. It’s always such a pleasure to share with parents the areas where their children are successful. We couldn’t be any prouder of these small humans for all they have accomplished this school year so far, from learning numbers and letters, to figuring out how to navigate the waters of several social situations. We have modeled and taught them how to become a team and to care for one another. Introverts are finding their voices, the unsure are taking chances and believing in themselves, and everyone is finding out that even adults like Ms. Carina and I don’t know everything and are still learning and practicing to get better at something. Reading our bible has sprinkled grace, hope, and forgiveness over us all and we have seen it in action each day. We pray that those seeds will settle deep in their hearts and follow them all the days of their lives. We have about ten weeks left before we leave for summer. Part of us will be ready for the break, but a big part of us is dreading it. We truly love your children and are blessed to get to do this each day of the week.

During our conferences we showed some of you a great tool for correcting a pencil grip. This is a mechanical pencil that forces proper finger placement. They also make them as pens. Here is the link to get some for yourself!

☔️☀️🌷After a long wait for spring, it’s finally here next week! There has been great anticipation waiting for our animals to wake up again after a long winter. Everyone who brought an animal and put it in our cave has been very patient over the last couple of months. Of course, we will celebrate with a party. If you would like to send in some food to share for our party, Erica Gaskins has sent out a sign up to send in some (nut-free) food that an animal might enjoy after waking up, like berries, sticks (pretzels), veggies, seeds, etc.

Monday, March 31st – Friday, April 4th:  Spring Break, Preschool Closed

Thursday, March 27 - Casual music programs in the fellowship hall. (This is a new event! ) Shortly after drop-off on this Thursday, your child will sing a few songs with their class & Ms. Vicki for an audience of parents and special loved ones in Ascension Hall. More details to come…

MARK YOUR CALENDAR! - Photo Specialties will take our school pictures (individual and class photos) on April 16.

Friday, April 18th & Monday, April 21st:  Good Friday & Easter Monday – preschool closed

March 25 - CCP Spirit Day- wear your CCP shirt and/or yellow (for Yellow Ducks!) It is also CCP Spirit Night at Al’s Burgers!

Tuesday, April 22nd:  Field Trip to Morehead Planetarium.  We will be taking the city bus and each child is allowed one chaperone.  This is such a fun event to extend our learning about space.  More details will follow as we get closer to the date.

Spring is right around the corner!

Peace,

Ms. Shelly & Ms. Carina

More Fairy Tales

Hello Yellow Duck Families,

We’ve continued on with fairy tales and this week we looked at different versions of Goldilocks and the Three Bears and Cinderella.

We began the week with the tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Wide eyes and attentive ears listened to the booming voice of Papa Bear and everyone laughed at the Baby Bear voice. After the story was read, we put out a story scene complete with breakfast table, chairs, beds, and characters. The story was then played out again with the children’s hands moving through the story on their own. Doing this allowed them to practice story sequencing, retelling, and identifying beginning, middle, and ending. They were learning again without even realizing it. We’re sneaky aren’t we?

Next week we will read The Three Little Pigs and build some houses for our Big, Bad Wolf!

This week we wanted to share with you our circle time experience. At the beginning of each day, we start by sitting in a semi circle and singing our “Good Morning” song. I’m sure you’ve probably heard it by now at home. We have almost finished reading the whole Bible during this time. We wish any friends that are missing that day well, after putting their picture in the wish-well heart mounted onto a pizza pan. The Ducks are counting the days of each month and learning their days of the week. It’s been a challenge to learn how to snap their fingers singing “Days of the Week” (this song is sung to the tune of “The Adam’s Family” theme song). Almost every day, we have a science specimen that is brought in. It is usually something from nature and we take our time viewing, smelling, or touching it. Also during this time, our weather reporter gives us a weather report after looking out the window, our news reporter keeps us up to date with all the things happening in their lives, and our teacher’s helper “reads” the schedule for the day. Circle time develops social skills, is a good practice of routine and transition, works on counting and number identification, and helps improve listening abilities. Kindergarten, get ready because these Ducks will be prepared!

Reporter Winnie.

Teacher’s helper Ivy Rose.

We are almost finished with our letters of the week. We’ll continue to work on letters but in small groupings or as the alphabet as a whole. Some of our friends need a little extra help in this area so we try to think of different ways to accomplish better identification and phonics. At home does your child run when they see you coming at them with that pencil and paper? Maybe try a different approach. How about putting paper insects labeled with letters on the floor, or taped to the wall and hand them a flyswatter? Then, you call out the letter and they have to try and smack the correct letter. This is a great one for those who prefer to be active while learning (see link below). Here are links to more great ideas that go beyond the pencil.

http://www.apinchofkinder.com/2016/11/10-anytime-alphabet-centres.html?m=1

https://www.myjoyfilledlife.com/12-alphabet-games-activities-especially-for-boys/

https://abcsofliteracy.com/fly-swatter-alphabet-game/

https://tinyurl.com/yc2t42c4

The board game, Pretty, Pretty Princess (or Prince 😉) has been a hot activity all week. The children have been learning how to take turns, count and help others count, and lose gracefully. Pretty much all the important things in life!

Thank you to all who came on Preschool Sunday! The sanctuary was filled with angels’ voices that put smiles on everyone’s face. What a gift!

Where does one get a pair of those fancy, pink glasses I wonder?😁

March 12 & 13 - (NEXT WEEK)- Conferences - School is closed for spring conferences, but feel free to plan with a friend to watch each other’s children on the playground during your conferences.

Please sign up here.

We also would prefer that your child NOT be present during this time as it can be hard to have a productive conversation with them present. Thank you for your understanding. Note that we also have no school those two days.

Monday, March 31st – Friday, April 4th:  Spring Break, Preschool Closed

Thursday, March 27 - Casual music programs in the fellowship hall. (This is a new event! ) Shortly after drop-off on this Thursday, your child will sing a few songs with their class & Ms. Vicki for an audience of parents and special loved ones in Ascension Hall. More details to come…

Friday, April 18th & Monday, April 21st:  Good Friday & Easter Monday – preschool closedMarch 25 - CCP Spirit Day/Night at Al’s Burgers!

Tuesday, April 22nd:  Field Trip to Morehead Planetarium.  We will be taking the city bus and each child is allowed one chaperone.  This is such a fun event to extend our learning about space.  More details will follow as we get closer to the date.

Please also keep our friend William in your hearts and prayers, as he is at home recovering from surgery and is not able to be with our flock. Heal quickly William!❤️

Don’t forget to turn your clocks forward this weekend (does anyone actually have an actual, old-school clock anymore? 😉) It means we lose an hour but gain valuable daylight time! I hope your children adjust well, but allow grace if it’s a struggle at first.

Peace,

Ms. Shelly & Ms. Carina

National Dental Month

Hello Yellow Duck Families,

Our ducks have been hanging out in the loft the past couple of weeks cleaning and polishing up teeth. Not their own teeth mind you, but some models of teeth. We had a student a few years ago that had a parent who was a dentist. She came and talked to the class about what a dentist does. She left us an awesome play dentist set and some books.

We also had a discussion about going to the dentist. We took turns telling one thing that we knew about a dentist. A common theme was that they got a prize when they were done. Pardon me, but I’d like to know why this ritual isn’t continued into adulthood? How about a Yeti mug or a nice bottle of wine in that treasure chest?😉

If you’d like to share what you do for a career with 4-5 year olds, please let us know. We welcome you to join us.

We played a fun game on Friday where letters of the alphabet were written with dry erase markers on a laminated set of teeth. A letter was presented and they had to find that “dirty” letter and clean it off the teeth. We also revisited the sound each letter makes. The first one to have a clean set of teeth won. It was another way to sneak in learning and they never knew it. Here is the link to the website for the free printable if you’d like to try it at home.

https://www.totschooling.net/2018/01/alphabet-teeth-cleaning-activity-dental-health.html

We’ve started reading fairy tales this week. “Red Riding Hood” by James Marshall, was read on Wednesday. We also placed a story extension activity on the top of our sensory table. Red, grandmother, the wolf, and the hunter/woodsman were able to move throughout the dark forest right up to grandmother’s house. We saw the children work in different ways to change the story in this setting.

The following two days we read other versions of this fairy tale to compare and contrast between them. The children all noticed things that were the same and several that were different. In one of the versions, the wolf burped out the grandmother at the end. In another the wolf never even ate her, he was really only looking to be read to.

Fairy tales spark imagination and offer moral lessons. Children can learn from the characters’ mistakes which helps them develop critical thinking skills. They show that people face adversity, but, if they believe in themselves, they can overcome obstacles. These stories can help children confront real-life fears and anxieties in a fantastical setting. Best of all, they’re so much fun! On to Goldilocks and the Three Bears next week.

PRESCHOOL SUNDAY - This coming Sunday, 3/2, is Preschool Sunday at Christ Church. PLEASE bring your child to sing! We need every voice! Meet us in the Disciple room at 8:40am to “warm up” our voices. The service lasts an hour or less. If you have other obligations, you may slip out after the children sing, but we hope you will stay to worship and celebrate. We would like to really pack the sanctuary with preschool families!!

March 12 & 13 - Conferences - School is closed for spring conferences, but feel free to plan with a friend to watch each others’ children on the playground during your conferences.

Please sign up here.

We also would prefer that your child NOT be present during this time as it can be hard to have a productive conversation with them present. Thank you for your understanding. Feel free to use the playground to take turns watching each other’s children during conferences. Note that we also have no school those two days.

March 25 - CCP Spirit Day/Night at Al’s Burgers!

March 27 - Casual music programs in the fellowship hall. (This is a new event! ) Shortly after drop-off on this Thursday, your child will sing a few songs with their class & Ms. Vicki for an audience of parents and special loved ones in Ascension Hall. More details to come…

Tuesday, April 22nd:  Field Trip to Morehead Planetarium.  We will be taking the city bus and each child is allowed one chaperone.  This is such a fun event to extend our learning about space.  More details will follow as we get closer to the date.

Cheers to the weekend!

Peace,

Ms. Shelly & Ms Carina

Snow Days!

Hello Yellow Duck Families,

Well, we finally got the snow that some of us were wishing for! Some of us, being fourteen small ducks that were dreaming of snowmen, snow angels, sledding, and hot cocoa. From the pictures sent (thank you!), I’d have to say dreams came true.

I know that these few days probably put a wrench in your plans and caused disruption. But it also slowed us all down and forced us to focus on what’s really important. Memories were made that will far outlast the snow that fell. Three days might not have felt like a gift, but it was. I hope you all chose to open it, use it, and then tuck it away forever in your hearts. Trust me, later in life you will cherish it!

For our one day in the classroom we did have a lot of fun. The dentist’s office is now open in the loft and we had water blocks and water in our new sensory table. Another collaborative art piece is in the works and should be finished next week. We will continue on with these activities next week and add in a few more as well. It will be a busy week!

Brushing teeth

A large art project!

March 12 & 13 - Conferences - School is closed for spring conferences, but feel free to plan with a friend to watch each others’ children on the playground during your conferences.

Please sign up here.

We also would prefer that your child NOT be present during this time as it can be hard to have a productive conversation with them present. Thank you for your understanding. Note that we also have no school those two days.

March 25 - CCP Spirit Day/Night at Al’s Burgers!

March 27 - Casual music programs in the fellowship hall. (This is a new event! Shortly after drop-off on this Thursday, your child will sing a few songs with their class & Ms. Vicki for an audience of parents and special loved ones in Ascension Hall. More details to come…

Until Monday!

Peace,

Ms. Shelly & Ms. Carina

Dance Like No One's Watching!

Hello Yellow Duck Families,

Sometimes as adults we forget to consider how children really feel about new things. When the Valentine’s Dance was approaching last week, we discussed all things dancing. We asked them how they felt about dancing, what they might wear, and prepared them for the fact that it would be dark when they came back to boogie. We could have left it at that. Instead, each day of the week before the big night, we learned a new dance move. Last Friday, our Yellow Ducks hit the dance floor with confidence and joy. They truly danced like no on was watching and we were so proud of them.

While you can’t always prepare for what life will throw at you or your child, for those times you can, it’s helpful to work through them together. Wonderful memories are made that are tucked away in your heart forever!

““Sing like no one is listening, love like you’ve never been hurt, dance like no one is watching and live like it is heaven on earth.””
— Mark Twain

💕We had our well-planned Valentine’s Party on Thursday, and it was so much fun! I’m sure you heard all about it. The food, the decorations, craft, bingo, were all a hit. Ms. Carina provided us with fairy hair, which a couple of friends will get next Tuesday as we ran out of time!

We’d say the Yellow Ducks did a grand job of party planning. The had ideas and they made them happen either themselves or asked for assistance to get it done. Thank you to Erica Gaskins for providing treats and fun extras for our party.

Valentine bingo!

Delivering our Valentines.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

February 14 & 17 - Preschool closed

March 12 & 13 - Conferences - School is closed for spring conferences, but feel free to plan with a friend to watch each others’ children on the playground during your conferences.

Please sign up here.

We also would prefer that your child NOT be present during this time as it can be hard to have a productive conversation with them present. Thank you for your understanding. Note that we also have no school those two days.

March 25 - CCP Spirit Day/Night at Al’s Burgers!

March 27 - Casual music programs in the fellowship hall. (This is a new event! Shortly after drop-off on this Thursday, your child will sing a few songs with their class & Ms. Vicki for an audience of parents and special loved ones in Ascension Hall. More details to come…

Enjoy your long weekend and we will see you in the classroom again next Tuesday!

Peace,

Ms. Shelly & Ms. Carina

Party Planning

Hello Yellow Duck Families,

It’s been a long week waiting for all of our Valentine’s Day events to start taking place! We feel like we are prepared and ready to dance, decorate for our party, and exchange our valentines. By the time this blog hits your inbox, we will have enjoyed our dance and witnessed our Ducks’ moves in action.

“Raise the roof!”

Next Thursday is the day of our big party we’ve been planning. We’ve been prepping all things valentines. We’ll play games and enjoy some treats We’ve been counting down the days and the excitement is real!

Next week we will make our trip to the big, blue mailbox around the corner to mail our Valentines. It should show up soon at your house. Thank you all for responding so quickly to our permission request this week. You are the best!

On Thursday, everyone learned how to make a paper heart. Each child got a piece of paper folded in half with a half of a heart drawn on it. Scissors were passed around the circle and they got to work cutting on that line. When they were finished, they proudly held them up for all to see. We revisited the concept of symmetry again with this lesson, and how to patiently and kindly return scissors to their proper home. We’ll use these hearts to make a banner for our party.

Sooo…the beginning of this week was pretty exciting with Valentine themed items around the room. Our vet clinic and ice cream shop are still open as well. By Wednesday, apparently there was a strike by the clean-up workers because we had a lot of things still left out. I observed as many children not only were not cleaning up, but were actually continuing on playing. I explained that they did not have to clean up and that Ms. Carina and I would take care of everything left out and put it away, like as in really away. No one seemed to mind and continued on their merry ways. We moved on to snack, the letter B, and dancing. Then, Ms. Carina and I took some big buckets and gathered all of the items that were left out. Both were full. We explained that they would get those items back on Monday and showed them how many days that was on the calendar. No one said much about it and it was time to dismiss.

All Thursday and Friday those buckets sat there as a reminder of their choice. By clean-up time the strike was over and the room has never been so clean! As the last children were leaving, I found them picking up the scraps of paper from our heart cutting practice.

No one cried during this experience. No one threw a tantrum. This was not a punishment as they all were informed of the outcome beforehand. They all learned a valuable lesson. Children have a choice in most decisions in their lives, even at four and five. And, with choices come consequences, which can be good or bad.

What choices are you letting your child make for themselves? The more practice they have, the better they will become at making the right ones as they grow older. If your child is struggling with something at home, give them some choices, let them choose and then follow through with whatever deal you have made with your preschooler. It’s scary at first but I promise it will get easier!

The buckets of poor choices…😉

REMINDERS

Our annual Valentine Dance will be tonight, Feb. 7 from 6:00-7:30 pm. The fellowship hall will be transformed into a party! People have asked what to wear…dress fancy, dress casual, just come dressed ready to dance!

Valentine’s Celebration - We will be celebrating Valentine’s Day on Thursday, Feb. 13th. Please send in Valentines with your child on that day and our ducks will deliver them to one another using their decorated bags we’ve made here in the classroom. If you’d like to include a treat with your Valentines, feel free to do so as long as it’s store bought and individually wrapped. Have your child sign their names on their Valentine cards and leave the “to” part and envelope, if there is one, blank. This way they can practice writing their own name and not be overwhelmed by writing all of their friends’ names. We have 14 Ducks in our class.

February 14th & 17th - No school (teacher work day Monday)

March 12 & 13 - Conferences - School is closed for spring conferences, but feel free to plan with a friend to watch each others’ children on the playground during your conferences.

March 25 - CCP Spirit Day/Night at Al’s Burgers!

March 27 - Casual music programs in the fellowship hall. (This is a new event! Shortly after drop-off on this Thursday, your child will sing a few songs with their class & Ms. Vicki for an audience of parents and special loved ones in Ascension Hall. More details to come…

It’s Friday and we hope you put your dancing shoes on to boogie with us tonight!

Peace,

Ms. Shelly & Ms. Carina

Collaborative Art and Pancakes & PJs

Hello Yellow Duck Families,

We have been working on some collaborative art pieces the past several weeks and they have turned out beautifully. One piece was made up of driftwood pieces from the beaches of Lake Superior. Sections and stripes were taped off and the children got busy painting them with black and white paint. Some mixed the colors and made gray. When they were dry, they were grouped together to make a wreath of sorts.

Another one was done by dragging a small squeegee across a small portion of paint that was on the edge of a large piece of paper. After everyone pulled their paint in their own way, it was left to dry and then was outlined to make everything pop!

Look for these art installations in our room to the right of the door as you walk in.

Why do collaborative art?

Collaborative art is a great team building exercise for preschoolers. The focus is not so much on the artistic product but instead, to help support:

  • Following instructions

  • Flexible thinking

  • Compromise

  • Sharing

Of course, we always have individual art opportunities each day for those who thrive on expressing themselves in their own way.

“Every child is a different kind of flower, and altogether make this world a beautiful garden.”
— Anonymous

Our arctic friends were in our sensory table playing in some snow. “Instant Snow Powder” is made of safe and non-toxic superabsorbent polymer, developed specifically to imitate most of the properties of snow. It’s actually similar to what is inside of a diaper 😄. When water is added to the dry mix, it can grow to 100 times its size. It was fun to watch it grow right in our hands!

We also observed a water bead with the same properties expand in a small jar of water. It started with a tiny speck and blew up to the size of a marble by the end of the day. We then took the bead out and watched it shrink back down via evaporation by the next day.

Let it snow!

On Wednesday we enjoyed our Pancakes and PJs day. It only comes once a year and we were ready for it! We spent a comfy morning working in our classroom in our pjs. By ten o’clock, the pancake invitation was in the air calling us to Ascension Hall. Everyone filled their bellies with pancakes, fruit, and juice. It was delicious! Thank you to all who helped make this day possible. We couldn’t do this special day without you!

“Yum!”

REMINDERS

Our annual Valentine Dance will be next Friday, Feb. 7 from 6:00-7:30 pm. The fellowship hall will be transformed into a party! People have asked what to wear…dress fancy, dress casual, just come dressed ready to dance! Keep in mind, this is a kid-friendly, family event. Our Ducks will also be learning some dance moves for this next week!

Valentine’s Celebration - We will be celebrating Valentine’s Day on Thursday, Feb. 13th (note that this is a corrected date from last week, silly me😊). Please send in Valentines with your child on that day and our ducks will deliver them to one another using their decorated bags we’ll make here in the classroom. If you’d like to include a treat with your Valentines, feel free to do so as long as it’s store bought and individually wrapped. Have your child sign their names on their Valentine cards and leave the “to” part and envelope, if there is one, blank. This way they can practice writing their own name and not be overwhelmed by writing all of their friends’ names. We have 14 Ducks in our class.

February 14th & 17th - No school (teacher work day Monday)

March 12 & 13 - Conferences - School is closed for spring conferences, but feel free to plan with a friend to watch each others’ children on the playground during your conferences.

March 25 - CCP Spirit Day/Night at Al’s Burgers!

March 27 - Casual music programs in the fellowship hall. (This is a new event! Shortly after drop-off on this Thursday, your child will sing a few songs with their class & Ms. Vicki for an audience of parents and special loved ones in Ascension Hall. More details to come…

Just like that, another week is gone. Soak up all the fun the weekend brings!

Peace,

Ms. Shelly & Ms. Carina

Winter Fun!

Hello Yellow Duck Families,

With only two days this week, we packed in a lot of activities. Some plastic penguins got stuck in some ice this week and little fingers used pipettes and warm water to free them. Some stayed the entire center time doing this activity they enjoyed it so much. The penguins will return with some of their cold weather friends next week to skate in our sensory table.

How do you keep a four or five-year old busy for 30 minutes? See answer above.😉

 The children had the opportunity to create their own winter castles out of paper cups, paper cones, plastic ice cubes, and “snow”. We had pictures of real and pretend castles on our table that they could use for reference. Some were surprised that there are real castles in the world. Everyone shared some new winter capes in our dress up area. They kept us warm on these cold days!

We have a literacy area in our room where we encourage letter writing, letter recognition, and exercise of finger muscles. We have had laminated snowmen with letters on them to trace, Lego letters, letter transformers, and different ways to extend a book we’ve read in class with dioramas. Next week our table will have wooden building words. There is also a reading area in our room with several books to enjoy. Often, many of the activities we offer we have found online. Here are a couple of ideas you can use at home:

https://beyondtheplayroom.com/rainbow-salt-writing-tray/

https://mrsplemonskindergarten.com/2017/11/preschool-community.html

In our loft, we opened up a vet clinic and have been taking care of all kinds of animals. They’ve been bandaged, brought back to life at times, and had their shots. You might want to save up for vet school as many have really loved this area.

In our kitchen area, an ice cream shop has opened and we have enjoyed all flavors of ice cream and toppings. The children have enjoyed serving each other and us too. It is the best kind of ice cream shop as it’s calorie free!

Dr Micah brought this cat back to life!

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!

COMING UP…

PANCAKES & PJ’S - Wear your pajamas to preschool on Wed, Jan 29! We will eat at 10:00am in Ascension Hall. This will be our snack so just plan on sending lunch for that day. Erica Gaskins will be communicating with you about how you can help. If you are setting up or cooking pancakes, you may start right after drop off. Ms. Debbie will be around to answer questions.

Our annual Valentine Dance will be on Friday, Feb. 7 from 6:00-7:30 pm. Put on your dancing clothes and shoes! The fellowship hall will be transformed into a party! This event is for your whole family. It’s always a favorite!

Valentine’s Day - We will be celebrating Valentine’s Day on Thursday, Feb. 13th. Please send in Valentines with your child on that day and our ducks will deliver them to one another using their decorated bags we’ll make here in the classroom. If you’d like to include a treat with your Valentines, feel free to do so as long as it’s store bought and individually wrapped. Have your child sign their names on their Valentine cards and leave the “to” part and envelope, if there is one, blank. This way they can practice writing their own name and not be overwhelmed by writing all of their friends’ names. We have 14 Ducks in our class.

February 14th & 17th - No school (teacher work day Monday)

March 12 & 13 - Conferences - School is closed for spring conferences, but feel free to plan with a friend to watch each others’ children on the playground during your conferences.

March 25 - CCP Spirit Day/Night at Al’s Burgers!

March 27 - Casual music programs in the fellowship hall. (This is a new event! Shortly after drop-off on this Thursday, your child will sing a few songs with their class & Ms. Vicki for an audience of parents and special loved ones in Ascension Hall. More details to come…

So many fun things to do during winter! We hope you are enjoying this time of year with your duck and exploring all things cold.

Peace,

Ms. Shelly & Ms. Carina

Hibernation!

Hello Yellow Duck Families,

The Yellow Duck class discussed hibernation this past week. We have identified what it is, who does it, and why. All of the animals brought from home have now gone into their cave/den and will stay there until March 20th, the first day of spring. What a great exercise in being patient! This exercise was not only to discover the many wonders of hibernation but also to allow our ducks the experience of parting with a toy for a long duration of time. Two and a half months is a long time for to be without their animal. We know they can do it though because they can do hard things!

Animals sleeping, shhh!

This week we wrote our names on paper snowballs and made snowmen ⛄️. Everyone counted how many letters they had in their name. Brooklynn had the most with nine letters! Math and handwriting practice, all in one activity.

For the next few weeks, I’ll give you a glimpse of one center in our classroom. This week, it’s our math area. Each week we change up the materials in this area. Sometimes we offer a game to work on counting and taking turns. Next week we will count and place the appropriate number of buttons on numbered snowmen. Earlier in the year, we we tried out AB, ABC, and ABCD patterns and the children are quite good at them. Last week we had a snowflake counting activity where beautiful ice gems were used. Beyond our math center, each day we are using our wish-well board to count how many ducks are present and how many are absent. Then we throw in some addition or subtraction and we are practicing equations! Our calendar gives the opportunity to count every day. The study of geometric 3d shapes and shapes have boosted our geometry skills. We try to cover all the ways that math will be required in Kindergarten and do it in a way that is fun so as not to let them know it’s work! Here are links to some great math activities and free printables if you’d like to work on these at home too.

https://www.preschoolplayandlearn.com/counting-snowman-activity-for-preschoolers/

https://www.preschoolplayandlearn.com/snowman-printable-shape-puzzles/

https://teachbesideme.com/eye-dropper-dot-counting/

https://frugalfun4boys.com/two-preschool-math-activities-with-duplo-legos/

REMINDERS:

School closed Monday, January 20.

Pancakes and Pajamas - We have planned our annual school-wide Pancakes and PJ’s on Wednesday, February 29th. Watch for more details, but for now, please mark your calendars.

Looking ahead - Our annual Valentine Dance will be on Friday, Feb. 7 from 6:00-7:30 pm. Put on your dancing clothes and shoes! The fellowship hall will be transformed into a party! This event is for your whole family. It’s always a favorite!

Remember that this coming Monday is a holiday and we will have no school. Take that extra day and do something unexpected with your duck. Play a game of Candy Land (you can pick one up at the Dollar Tree). Freeze plastic animals in ice and let your child free them with small tools. Dip your hands in snow (shaving cream). Whatever you do, make it fun!

Stay warm!❄️

Peace,

Ms. Shelly & Ms. Carina

Happy New Year!

Hello Yellow Duck Families,

Welcome back to preschool! How did we get to 2025 so quickly? We hope you all had a restful break with your duck and feel ready to get back into the groove of school again.

During this week we packed in some fun activities. We wrote our letters in shaving cream, made beautiful beaded snowflakes, worked on some winter process art, explored different kinds of salt, and stomped some dinosaurs around our loft. Oh yeah, we can’t leave out the hot cocoa stand on the playground and the reall hot cocoa with four marshmallows we enjoyed at snack time!

Writing in shaving cream

So focused!

Fine motor work

Winter process art

Which melts ice best—-rock salt, epsom salt, or table salt?

Dinos in our loft

Next week we will be learning about hibernation. We would love for your child to bring in a small, stuffed (or plastic) animal to “hibernate” in a box in our classroom until spring. Please send in one that your child can part with for this duration. We have discussed this in our classroom and some of the children were not so sure about having to leave a toy here for so long. This isn’t required so if your child doesn’t want to bring an animal, it’s okay. When spring comes, there will be a celebration for those animals!

We have a new book coming home next week! It’s called the “Yellow Duck Counting Book”. It will be sent home each day with someone new to read with their family. Then, pop the book back in its bag and return it the following day for the next duck to share at their house. We hope you enjoy counting the 14 ducks with your little one!

REMINDERS:

School closed - January 20

Pancakes and Pjs - January 29 in Ascension Hall

We hope you stay warm this weekend and do all the winter things that make you happy!

Ms. Shelly & Ms. Carina

Merry Christmas! 🎄

Hello Yellow Duck Families,

It’s almost here! Seven more long days of waiting for Christmas to finally arrive.

Thank you for being a part of our Christmas concert. It was so nice to come together and celebrate as a school family. Our Ducks did an amazing job singing today and we couldn’t be prouder. Broadway should be on alert for this coming tribe of amazing singers!

Practicing for the big day!

Ms. Carina and I would like to extend our thanks for all of your thoughtful gifts to us. We are humbled by your generosity. We are grateful for the cards and drawings from our Ducks, and the kind, heartfelt words of encouragement and thanks from you. And again, we thank you for the gift of sharing your children with us. Each day brings wonders, adventure, and best of all, love. Can work get any better than that?!!

BACK TO SCHOOL - We look forward to seeing your smiling faces back at preschool on Monday, January 6, 2025.

This week we all shared what we wanted for Christmas. Here are the wishes we heard…

Kitty - Madeline

Red and gray transformer - Jackson

Princess bag - Eloise

A big drone - William

Reindeer and horse with wings and sleigh that you can ride - Zoe

Truck with fork lift - Micah

Princess dress - Brooklynn

Red nose reindeer pet - Wesley

Scooter and magic wand - Reese

Grown up watch - Charlie

American girl soccer clothes - Ivy Rose

Unicorn bounce house - Lucy

Toy cats - Winnie

I hope whatever they receive, they are happy with it!

Enjoy your next few weeks together eating, playing, and hopefully, doing a little napping. The best gift you can give to your child is not listed above, it is the gift of time. Time spent fully engaged, in their world, and without a phone anywhere near. In fact, lock the phone in a box and send it down the river 🙂. This gift is priceless and will be remembered long after all the Christmas toys are forgotten or broken. And, it will be remembered by you both, even when you’ve blinked and they’ve flown away. Trust me, I know…

In Heavenly Peace,

Ms. Shelly & Ms. Carina

Problems and Solutions

Hello Yellow Duck Families,

I’d like to tell you about a time not so far back, that I struggled with my communication. I’m vertically challenged and I was often frustrated by this. When I couldn’t reach an item on a high shelf I’d say something like, “I can’t reach this”. Most times, my husband or son would come to the rescue and help. A few years back, my husband finally said to me after one such instance, “You’re telling me your problem, what’s the solution?” In other words he was saying, “USE YOUR WORDS LADY”. He was correct. I wasn’t using my words to ask for help and everyone knows we can’t read each other’s minds (even though we think others should 😉). Being a little too independent, that was hard for me to do but I’ve gotten better at asking for help.

Like myself, many of the Ducks started out the year with problem statements like:

“My water is all gone.”

“They won’t stop chasing me.”

“I can’t get this marker top off.”

We didn’t fix their problem (which would have been much easier), but we said to them, “That’s a problem, what do you think could be a solution?” At first they really didn’t know how to solve their problem. We walked each one through their dilemma and now we hear less and less problem statements and see them using words to create solutions. It’s still hard for some, but over the next few months they will become comfortable using the tools we’ve given them. Try noticing at home if they are stating problems and then before solving their issue, ask them what they think might be a good solution.

After finishing the Old Testament in November, we have moved on to the New Testament. Of course, the timing for starting the New Testament was aligned with the Christmas season and why it’s celebrated. However, this week we took some time and looked at Hanukkah and how it relates to the Old Testament. We didn’t dive deep into the details of the season, but looked at the ways people who follow the Old Testament still celebrate it today. We looked at photos of the food served during this season and shared some chocolate gelt coins which represents money that might be given as a gift. By the end of the year, we will have read through the whole Bible, discussing all of the wonders of it along the way!

We’ve used patterning in our art area to make beaded candy canes. We’ve seen the AB and ABC patterns used. Math and art do go together!

We had our class Christmas celebration Wednesday. We made a snowman with air dry clay and then decorated it, complete with a scarf and hat! We ended our festivities with cookie decorating. Everyone had free rein over the frosting choices and the sprinkles. A huge thank you to our parent rep, Erica Gaskins (Jackson’s mom) for organizing and collecting the supplies for our fete. Thank you to Emilie Olsen (Micah’s mom) and Kristin Waitkus (Lucy’s mom), for helping to prepare, and to assist our Ducks with anything they needed on this day. We were blessed indeed!

CHRISTMAS CONCERT… Wed, Dec. 18 at 9:30 for our annual CCP Christmas Concert in the Sanctuary. Each class will sing a song or two and we will tell the Christmas story. It is our gift to you! Take your child to their classroom at 9:00 and find a seat in the sanctuary. We will begin at 9:30. Right after, everyone will go home and start their Christmas break. 🎄 Please keep in mind that you may need to park in the municipal lots around Southern Village since the whole school will be assembled.

If your child will not be here for any of the days next week, please let us know. We have gifts they have made for you and some Christmas art that will be sent home probably on Tuesday. Reply where it says “CLICK HERE to email Shelly directly”.

Enjoy the weekend!

Ms. Shelly & Ms. Carina

So Long November, Hello December!

Hello Yellow Duck Families,

It’s here! December arrived this week with much anticipation and preparation. The Ducks have painted a Christmas tree together using pine branches as paint brushes. It was great fun to use science to paint with. We hung the tree on our bulletin board and dressed it up with lights.

We have worked on some special gifts for our families, but shhh, it’s a surprise!

Everyone got to paint a house for our Christmas village in our room. There was a lot of excitement at the table as they painted their house any color they wanted. Some drew doors and windows, some just wanted to paint it, and each one got a wreath. Every house is a unique creation that every child was very proud of. Come in and check them out at drop-off before the village is broken up and sent home, one by one.

With the return of cold weather, we’ve been working hard on putting on our own coats. The Magic Coat Trick has come in handy for a time such as this. Here’s how it works:

Have the child put the coat down on the floor (or a table). They need to stand near the tag/hood, put their arms through the arm holes, and flip the coat over their head.

Once a child is used to looking at their coat upside down, this becomes a breeze.

Tag by the toes…

hands in the holes…

and over it goes!

“I did it!”

PLEASE RESERVE… Wed, Dec. 18 at 9:30 for our annual CCP Christmas Concert in the Sanctuary. Each class will sing a song or two and we will tell the Christmas story. It is our gift to you! Take your child to their classroom at 9:00 and find a seat in the sanctuary. We will begin at 9:30. Right after, everyone will go home and start their Christmas break. 🎄 Please keep in mind that you may need to park in the municipal lots around Southern Village since the whole school will be assembled.

-Now that it is cold, please be sure you have a change of clothes in the cubby appropriate for winter weather.

Take a big breath (or two!) and take in all that this season means with your sweet Duck this weekend!

Peace,

Ms. Shelly & Ms. Carina

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello Yellow Duck Families,

Thanksgiving is upon us with Christmas right on its heels! Are you ready? In the Yellow Duck classroom we have been busy making Thanksgiving cards for you. With pictures of actual turkeys on the table for reference, the children did the hard work of making their play-dough turkey and then bringing it to the portrait studio to have its picture taken. We had some adorable turkeys!

One handsome turkey!

Even with a short week, our classroom was as busy as ever! We made our apple pie today, with each child able to turn the crank of the apple peeler, corer, slicer machine, crush up the graham crackers for the crust, and use our new kids’ knives to cut up the slices (thank you Waitkus family ❤️). Everyone was amazed that turning a handle could make such magic! Ms. Carina’s Instant Pot did the cooking while we played in our centers/playground, and it was ready to eat by snack time. With a little whipped cream on the top, that “pie” disappeared in a short time! Our Ducks were proud of their efforts of coming together and making something so delicious.

Peeling, coring, and slicing with one hand!

Cutting the apple slices

Yum!

In our free art area, several bracelets were made for friends and family. Such small beads made for great fine motor practice and hand eye coordination. It was also lovely to see our Ducks think of someone else as they thoughtfully chose beads according to whom they were being made for. I hope those who received them treasure them, as they were made with so much love!

THANKSGIVING BREAK - November 27-29. No school. Eat turkey 🦃!

PLEASE RESERVE… Wed, Dec. 18 at 9:30 for our annual CCP Christmas Concert in the Sanctuary. Each class will sing a song or two and we will tell the Christmas story. It is our gift to you! Take your child to their classroom at 9:00 and find a seat in the sanctuary. We will begin at 9:30. Right after, everyone will go home and start their Christmas break. 🎄 Please keep in mind that you may need to park in the municipal lots around Southern Village since the whole school will be assembled.

WIPES - Cold/flu season is upon us! If you have an extra canister of Lysol or Clorox wipes or a can of Lysol spray that you could donate, we could sure put those to use. Thank you to all who have already brought some in!

Know that Ms. Carina and I are so very thankful for our ducks and for you, their families. Each day we don’t have to go to work, we get to go to work. We love that you share your greatest treasures with us here at CCP!

Cheers, to time spent with family and friends this Thanksgiving week! Now, go make those pies!

Peace,

Ms. Shelly & Ms. Carina

Thank you for all the love!

Creating Calm

Hello Yellow Duck Families,

To continue on with the theme of last week’s blog about children watching us, know that you have the power to set the tone in your spaces. Kids will try to highjack the calm in our lives. All. The. Time. They might throw tantrums, jump like primates, or dig their heels in and refuse to cooperate at any given time. It’s all part of them still learning how to be a functioning human being. How we react to them is the key in teaching them how to work through power struggles and the desire to run with the wolves.

Woven throughout our day, we have times of purposeful calm and full speed movement. When we start our day we try to greet with calmness to keep our energy intentionally low. It’s one of the reasons most days you’ll find me sitting in the entry of our classroom quietly saying good morning. Ms. Carina is waiting for them on the rug to help prepare them for our circle time which starts right after drop-off.

We have plenty of center options for them to keep themselves engaged during our center time. Most of it is productive, but sometimes play can get a bit rowdy and we need to come alongside them calmly to assist. Then, poof—like. magic, their energy matches ours. Occasionally, we’ll need a brain break and we’ll head to Ascension Hall to take a spin on the scooters or chase balloons. Of course playground time is the biggest brain break of all. Everyone gets to run like a house on fire.

By the end of our day, we’re ready with a peaceful exit strategy. Reading stories, yoga, finger fiddle-faddle exercises, or the conversation game, all help deliver your child back to you in a productive way.

We try to remember that we can only control ourselves. When we control ourselves going into battle (see first paragraph), our little friends will almost always match our energy (see third paragraph). 🙂 How do you create calm in your spaces? Here are some ways that might be helpful: -routines, dim the lights, classical music, hit the swings, take 10 deep breaths, a body sock.

We are still learning about geometric solids. We’ve discussed the shapes, but the children are really enjoying holding 3D solids in their hands, seeing them out in the world, and sitting inside a square-based pyramid (t-pee). We’ve even had requests to learn more than one a week. These kids are going to rock eight grade math!

A fine example of a square based pyramid!

Are you smarter than a four-year old?

As the weather is dictating warmer clothing, we will leave you with these two thoughts:

~Labeling coats, hats, and mittens really help with anything left behind.

~Imagine 14 children needing assistance with getting their coat on. If your child is struggling to do this task, practice with them at home 😉. Thanks for your help!

We are making apple pie, CCP style the day before our break. We will make applesauce and enjoy it with a graham cracker crust and some whipped cream. Because this is a celebration of sharing, would you please send in an apple of the crisp variety (Red Delicious, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, etc.🍎) Monday the 25th or Tuesday the 26th? We will be ending our day Tuesday with this treat!

THANKSGIVING BREAK - November 27-29. No school. Eat turkey 🦃!

Please mark your December calendar…We will have our Preschool Christmas Concert on the last day of preschool before Christmas. It will be on Wednesday , December 18 at 9:30am in the Sanctuary. We will sing a few songs and tell the Christmas story. We will have our program at 9:30 and then everyone will go home with their families after the program. More details to come as we get closer, but for now, please mark your calendar for this special day.

WIPES - Cold/flu season is upon us! If you have an extra canister of Lysol or Clorox wipes or a can of Lysol spray that you could donate, we could sure put those to use. Thanks!

Stay warm this weekend!

Peace,

Ms. Shelly & Ms. Carina

“I’m a four-year-old with a six-year-old shadow!”